Expats overwhelmingly support mandatory health insurance of over 50s: Poll

[Farang99]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

And how those old geezers >70 years or better? 

Can't get insurance when you already have one foot in the grave. 

No company will provide insurance for anyone over 75. Are they suggesting that all the old codgers should just pack their bags and disappear?

 

[mike787]

1 hour ago, billsmart said:

I'd like to see this poll conducted on Expats over 50, not just everyone on Thaivisa...

Apparently the numbers are real...Expats want insurance...

[vermin on arrival]

what a load of rubbish...I don't know any who believe this although I'm sure there are some...I know this will force many to leave if it is followed through on a blanket basis, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of the intent...what a moronic article

[Xonax]

The reason health care insurance is so expensive, is the ridiculously high prices in private hospitals. Many patients have to pay 4 times the actual price for medications and treatments.  In addition to that, you will most often be prescribed 4 times more medicine than you actually need.

I have had health care insurance with the same international company for many years, without having any claims, which the insurance company thanked me for, by giving me a 10% no claim discount.  When i suddenly had an expensive surgery in an expensive hospital last year, I lost my no claim discount which was expected, but in addition to that I had loaded an extra 25% on top of the future premium.

I have a high knowledge about various kinds of diseases and medications, so I have always been my own "doctor" and rarely needed outpatient services, which I am happy to pay by myself.  To lower the premium, I have selected to have a yearly own risk of THB 40,000 on inpatient treatments.

I certainly don´t agree, that health care insurance should be mandatory for all expats above 50 (and why not all ages, since younger persons seems to be more reckless in their daily behaviour?).  At least there should be an alternative to deposit at high amount in a Thai bank, to prove, that you are able to take care of yourself.  Ohh wait a bit - don´t we already have that in place????

And what about persons with pre-existing conditions, that are not covered?  And what about elderly people, which no insurance company will insure?

[Juan B Tong]

OK.

Lets do this poll.

 

Should long stay expats in Thailand have free healthcare at government hospitals?

Vote yes by clicking the heart or trophy icon.

Vote no by clicking the confused or laughing icon.

[mlkik]

So can someone clarify if the proposal is for only the original visa application (new applicants) or if it would apply to those of us who are now on extention of stay?

[animatic]

1 hour ago, rabas said:

I wonder how many who said yes had seen the plans offered. Surely 100,000B for 400,000 of coverage, 40,000B outpatient, and US$1,000,000 repatriation are scamish. Just who is going to spend US$1M to send my ashes to Buriram?

 

They don’t mean in Thailand. They mean back to UK or Canada, etc.

[Morty T]

Hard to react to all this right now, as of yesterday afternoon the Royal Thai Embassy (DC) and Consulate (NY) had no information. Wife and I are concerned with our Cigna policies (US) are extensive, but do not cover out patient. Are we going to need another policy to cover the requirements ? 

[ParadiseLost]

1 hour ago, Mitkof Island said:

What about the millions of Full Moon Party idiots who in up in the hospitals and make a dash to the airports without paying?

Please show a link to one single story?

 

What is it with people - too old to party so it is now evil and nobody else should be allowed?

 

I am glad to hear an island this small can sustain enough hospitals to treat 'millions' of party-goers. Hell of a fleet of ferries required too!

 

[rabas]

17 minutes ago, paybob said:

Reading the Ministry article in English courtesy of Google Translate, I note the outpatient requirement is clearly stated as "...not less than 4 thousand baht..." not 40,000 baht as is being widely misreported.  And still a lot to work out regarding implementation.

Outpatient is not 4 thousand baht it is forty thousand baht.

 

The 4 thousand baht Outpatient (ref below) comes from Google wrongly translating 40,000 baht to 4000 baht, some kind of software bug.

 

Original Thai           Google translate

4 หมื่นบาท          4 thousand baht   (wrong)

   หมื่นบาท          ten thousand baht  (correct)

 

11 hours ago, yang123 said:

 This is from what appears to be the MOPH web-site via a sub-Google translation programme: http://hss.moph.go.th/show_topic.php?id=2808   Spacing (lack of) as in the original. 

(clip)

sum insured for medical expenses in case of outpatient not less than 4 thousand baht, inpatient not less than 4 hundred thousand baht. The policy can be purchased online at http // longstay.tgia. org

(clip)

[alphason]

9 minutes ago, mlkik said:

So can someone clarify if the proposal is for only the original visa application (new applicants) or if it would apply to those of us who are now on extention of stay?

Who knows for sure as yet,

 

Ubon Joe says "It is only for OA long stay visas applied for at a embassy or official consulate in you home country.

All information we have is that it does not apply to extensions of stay based upon retirement or any other extension."

 

And "Phuket Immigration Chief Col Kathathorn also confirmed that the new insusrance requirement applies only to Non-Immigrant O-A "retirement" visas."

 

Non O A is a long stay visa applied for outside the country that gives a 1 year stamp on entry http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O-A"-(Long-Stay).html

 

[ginjag]

1 minute ago, Knocker33 said:

So if you have to insurance are they going to lower the amount of money you have to keeper locked away by them each year? 

I would rather Cut off my own leg than let any of the hospitals treat me. So far I have been misdiagnosed three times. And guess what every time they recommended money making tests I did not not need. Another load of b*llox from the propaganda forum

Bkk hospital, picture this, I went to get a sinus discharge sorted,  on the printout consultants fees, nurses fees, attendance desk fees, plus this that and the other, THEN the pharmacy items, all paid for cash.    Taking everything prescribed over the week, no improvement,  I went back to report on this,  the consultant said it COULD be an allergy, so she sent me for X rays,   Believe it or not she said I had kidney stone, and a little lung infection.  then asked me to go to these other consultants to check the X-ray findings.   On top of that said she wanted to do tests to see what I was allergic to appertaining to the nose, but couldn't guarantee the findings.     I refused the extra departments fees and pharmacy costs and left......I visited my local pharmacy and bought the same products but stronger, for 600 baht.   BKK hospital was to be near 6,000 baht for nothing and a wild goose chase.     My point being insurance companies and most private hospitals are in complete rip off mode,  Government hospitals are a pain for the amount of people waiting , but to me a better service.

[phiti]

Your pole is very simple, and yes compulsory insurance for inpatient treatment makes sense but how many who voted yes really agree to outpatient insurance as well. I for one believe outpatient insurance is unnecessary and a nice little earner for insurance companies.

[jollyhangmon]

12 minutes ago, vermin on arrival said:

what a load of rubbish...I don't know any who believe this although I'm sure there are some...I know this will force many to leave if it is followed through on a blanket basis, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of the intent...what a moronic article

 

... +1 and damned excellent user name, Sir ...  

[DPKANKAN]

2 hours ago, jaltsc said:

"According to a straw poll on the Thaivisa Facebook page..."

 

Well, that's about as highly scientific and objective as it gets in Thailand. The only other research method which would represent the epitome of "science" in Thailand is if every respondent copied from the first one (aka - The smart kid) to answer the question. 

 

I would think that if there was a truly objective and scientific poll conducted, the majority or respondents would answer: "I'm moving to Vietnam. Where, if I choose to deposit $26,000 into a bank, it would earn me a decent amount of interest". 

And of course if the 'poll' was open to all, how many insurance reps voted for???!!!5555 ????????????????????????

[Dogmatix]

Interesting that there is no mention of permanent residents, who by definition have opted to remain in country for the duration. Only some are eligible for 30 baht healthcare, i.e. those that already had PR when the scheme started and were grandfathered in a few years later when they amended the law to keep foreigners out. I guess those without are small in number and not worth worrying about.

 

I agree with others that short stay tourists cause most of the problems, often due to motorbikes driven by inexperienced, unlicensed riders.

[mlkik]

4 minutes ago, alphason said:

Who knows for sure as yet,

 

Ubon Joe says "It is only for OA long stay visas applied for at a embassy or official consulate in you home country.

All information we have is that it does not apply to extensions of stay based upon retirement or any other extension."

 

And "Phuket Immigration Chief Col Kathathorn also confirmed that the new insusrance requirement applies only to Non-Immigrant O-A "retirement" visas."

 

Non O A is a long stay visa applied for outside the country that gives a 1 year stamp on entry http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O-A"-(Long-Stay).html

 

That would make sense as the way I read it was that it was for new applicants and not those who are already on extentions of stay.

It would also lessen the hysteria that seems to happen on various forums when any kind of change it mentioned.

[Bundooman]

1 hour ago, Topdoc said:

I think if you ask the foreigners, aged over 50, who are living here whether they should be required to have mandatory health insurance, the results would be very different. Some of the comments in the article are not from Thai expats

Absolutely correct! I might add:

 

• Why did this poll appear on Facebook - but not here on this forum?
• How many of the 'pollsters' actually live in Thailand or have any idea of what it means to live in Thailand - not anywhere else - but HERE - in Thailand?
• The 'over 50s' heading is also misleading as well. If you are actually over 50 but under, say, 60 years old - there is a possiblity that you may get reasonable and professional insurance, but over that age, as I am, 74 - I am not going to be able to get insurance. (They will tell me I can or tell me I must, but I can guarantee that it wouldn't be effective cover or, at a realistic price).

Already, as I turn my computer on in the morning, my screen is now swamped with Ads referring to medical insurance in Thailand/Abroad, etc., (There's even one at the top of this site), - all offering expensive yet wonderful sounding medical insurance care. The parasitic vultures are already coming out of the woodwork to con us out of our money with fantastic promises of ultra-best service, bla bla bla. 

 

And as yet, we don't even know the real details either - so how can these Insurance companies know whether they can conform to what Immigration requires of us?

 

Utter nonsense. I am truly disgusted that Thaiisa should slide such a poll in for worldwide trawling via Facebook and then use the results to attempt to convince us on this site that the majority of US agree with the Thai Government!

 

Finally, as I type this, I can see, at the top of my page - yes, you've guessed it - an advert for "Medical Insurance for Expats!!

 

What crock of <deleted>!

 

[ParadiseLost]

If people only stop to think before spouting crap about something that probably does not even affect them (yet).

 

Long term residents have nowhere to hide, they cannot get treatment and simply disappear, this is their home and most are fully committed to spending the rest of their time here. Try getting an extension if you have a warrant outstanding - there was recently an example in Phuket where a Russian guy went to extend his visa and instead found himself banged up.

 

There may well be a problem with end-of-life circumstances but if so then why not address this by offering affordable cover to the over 70s?

 

The real problem - as has been said many times - are tourists. Give the hospitals a hotline to immigration to prevent them leaving?

 

[vukovar77]

1 hour ago, peter14 said:

NO ,   800 k and health insurance to cover  400   k THB....    cost of living in Thailand required huge amount.  It's about time to move elsewhere...  Thailand overrated..

True!!!

[DPKANKAN]

6 minutes ago, mlkik said:

That would make sense as the way I read it was that it was for new applicants and not those who are already on extentions of stay.

It would also lessen the hysteria that seems to happen on various forums when any kind of change it mentioned.

Hope that is correct. May take away some of the hysteria on TV!! ????????????

[bt2017]

I recently applied for health cover at 77 the price was exhorbitant although they would cover me-what really annoys me and I have put this to insurance agents why don't they have a Sth. East Asia only policy I'm covered if I return to either the UK or Australia and I'm unlikely due to age to be going to another foreign country to live so I don't need World Wide cover.

[rumak]

5 minutes ago, mlkik said:

That would make sense as the way I read it was that it was for new applicants and not those who are already on extentions of stay.

It would also lessen the hysteria that seems to happen on various forums when any kind of change it mentioned.

First sentence I agree with.  I also think that the ruling pertains to what UbonJoe has written,

Unfortunately, sentence #2 is not correct (lessen the hysteria).   Heck, I have to admit there was

an initial  <deleted> reaction yesterday when this post appeared.

[woofwoof]

My question when you hit 70 what happens when no one wants to cover you. What's the 800,000 baht for if you can't use it to pay the hospital bill?

[mindfulness]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

And how those old geezers >70 years or better? 

Can't get insurance when you already have one foot in the grave. 

That’s when they want to get rid of you. Maybe 20 to 30 years or more contributing to the community, then to be shipped off like something no longer desired. 

 

Never found much gratitude, and compassion in this place, so much indoctrinated authoritarian ignorance though.  

[wobalt]

What sense makes this when every condition like diabetes is excluded?

[mindfulness]

Nationalistic Prejudice at work again !

 

Sick.  

[wayned]

Although I support a health care plan it would be nice to know what MP are associated with which insurance companies.  I had hip replacement surgery about 8 years ago in a private hospital and paid cash.  I quickly checked the link to companies that now supply the insurance and the premium cheapest available for my age group is 1.6 times the cost of the hip replacement with a 10 day hospit5al stay, the most expensive, Atena, is 2.75 times the cost.  Kinda off the deep end to me!

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, ryane66 said:

I guess in your estimation l am an old greezer. I am 71. Slim and fit. Regular health checkups define me as excellent. I bike 30km EVERY day.

I outworked the younger Thai workers building my home. I really don't think l am close to having a foot in the grave. Pretty sure l could keep up to you.

In my wife's village, there is a woman five years older than you. By 9 am she is drunk as a lord every single day, she wanders around the village and has never been hit by a truck or bike. And as for checkups, she has never even seen a doctor one time in her life. She will outlive you, me, and everyone else trying to live forever.

[Pedrogaz]

I have absolutely no problem sticking 400K into a medical account but I'll be damned if I will buy overpriced insurance from corrupt insurance companies.